A Broken Vow
by LOTRRanger
Summary: JONAS. Joe has regretted many things in his life. There are few people that Joe absolutely hates. And it is rare that those two facts ever coincide, yet this is one of those times. And it is all because of a single mistake: silence.


_Ramblings With Ranger: So I was listening to this song, Broken Vow by Josh Groban, and I had a sudden plot bunny that I just _had_ to write. This isn't my usual cheerful, light and fluffy romantic one-shots. It's rather depressing. Just a warning. _

_Disclaimer: I don't own JONAS, the Jonas Brothers or Josh Groban. Sadly...  
_

Broken Vow

Joe Lucas thought his heart would stop beating forever when he saw _them_. A heart attack at seventeen. Yeah, that'd be a story for medical journals across the world. Joe's heart _did_ resume its normal pace, however, and life would go on. Joe shook his head. Life would go on, yes, but not as before. No, never as before.

Joe could not believe that he had never told Stella Malone exactly how he felt. He couldn't believe how stupid he was, how idiotic he was to let his fear of rejection keep him from asking Stella out. And now he was paying the price.

Stella Malone, JONAS stylist and best friend, was obviously flirting with a guy. A very attractive guy. A guy that Joe just wanted to walk to and say 'Hello, my name is Joe Lucas. You are flirting with the woman I love. Prepare to feel a world of hurt.'

Joe sighed, closing his locker. Sadly, he couldn't say that. Oh, how he wanted to, though! "Hey, what's up?" Joe whirled around when he heard Nick.

"Don't do that!" Joe exclaimed. Nick blinked and glanced at Kevin, who was standing beside him.

"Don't do what? Talk to you?" Nick asked, confused. Kevin frowned.

"You know, it'd be really hard to keep JONAS going if we can't talk to you, Joe." Kevin observed. Nick rolled his eyes. Joe sighed.

"Whatever. I've gotta get to math." Joe began to walk away, hoping that his brothers wouldn't follow. Wishful thinking.

"Hey, class isn't for another," Nick checked his watch. "Fifteen minutes. And besides, you don't even _like_ math." Joe clamped his mouth shut.

"Yeah! Remember that song you wrote about your hatred for math?" Kevin reminded, jogging to keep up. Joe just walked faster, not looking back. He ran up the stairs and managed to duck into an elevator just as the doors close behind up, effectively stopping his brothers from following him.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Joe looked both ways before stepping out of the elevator and into the hallway. There was no sight of his brothers or Stella and _that man_. This was good; he had made it most of the way through the day and had managed to avoid the aforementioned people as much as possible, or at least avoid conversation.

"Why are you upset?" Joe whirled around. It was Macy. Her head was cocked, her hands clasped behind her back. He blinked. She didn't have any sports equipment (that Joe could see), which was rather odd.

"Pssh. I'm not upset! I'm perfectly fine." Joe denied, shaking his head. Macy gave a long suffering sigh.

"Obviously not, Joe." Macy stated as if talking to a two year old. Joe frowned, giving a fake laugh.

"Yes, I am." Macy perked up.

"So you admit that you're upset!" Macy said hopefully. Joe blinked.

"No! No, I mean that I really am fine." Joe explained. Macy's shoulders drooped.

"Joe, Joe, Joe." Joe cringed; he could tell that Macy was about to give him a Stella-rant. Joe sighed. Stella...

"You are _obviously_ not 'fine'. Reason one," Macy held up a finger. "You have already spent ten dollars and fifty cents on juice, milk, soda and other miscellaneous beverages that the school vending machines offer." Joe blinked. Macy held up another finger.

"Reason two: despite the fact that you've spent so much money on drinks, you don't have your usual one o'clock banana smoothie with immunity boost." Macy continued. Joe could only stare at her. Sure, he knew Macy pretty much stalked him and his brothers, but Joe didn't think he'd ever get used to Macy's never-ending JONAS knowledge.

Macy held up a third finger. "Reason three: you have avoided avoided Kevin, Nick _and_ Stella all day." Another finger went up. "And reason four: you haven't commented on the fact that I have not hyperventilated, screamed, accidentally hurt you, fainted or exhibited any other symptoms of my Super Fan Girl status. So don't tell me that you're fine when you are obviously not." Macy clasped her hands in front of her when she finished.

Joe frowned. Everything Macy had said was true. He couldn't believe he hadn't noticed that he had been talking with Macy for more than a minute and hadn't landed in the nurse's office (Joe and Nurse Olivia had come to be friends of a sort because of his frequent Macy-induced visits).

"Alright, so I'm _not_ okay!" Joe exclaimed. "But what difference does it make? None!" Macy shook her head.

"One person can make a big difference, Joe!" Macy argued. "And either you are going to tell me voluntarily what's bothering you or I am going to start psychoanalyzing your every word, your every move. And if that doesn't work, I'm getting Stella!" Joe stiffened and cringed when Macy mentioned her friend. Macy's eyes narrowed.

"Joesph Adam Lucas!" Macy exclaimed, pointing a deadly finger at Joe and taking a menacing step forward. "Did you hurt Stella?! Because if you did, prepare yourself for a world of pain!" Joe's eyes widened and took a step backwards. He had no trouble believing her.

"N...no!" Joe stuttered. Macy jabbed a finger at Joe.

"You cringed _and_ you stiffened! You _always _do that when you're upset, and usually when you've hurt that person!" Macy pressed. Joe shook his head.

"N...no! I mean, yes! But no!" Joe defended. "Stella's with _that man_! She's fine!" A sudden realization hit Macy. A slow smirk grew on the Super Fan Girl's face.

"You see? _This_ is just another reason why I follow JONAS around! It's never boring!" Macy jabbed her finger at Joe again. "You _like_ Stella!" Macy proclaimed. Joe clamped his right hand over Macy's mouth, his left arm shooting around Macy's waist – dropping his books in the process - and dragged Macy into the nearest glass atrium. Macy's squeal was stifled by Joe's calloused hand.

When Joe released Macy, she looked ready to faint out of pure joy. Macy took deep breaths, trying to steady herself after Joe of JONAS actually touched her. Joe sighed, running a hand through his hair. "And here I was thinking we'd get through a whole conversation without your Super Fan Girl attacks..." Joe muttered. Macy straightened with indignation.

"I...I can do that! I can!" Macy declared. Joe rolled his eyes and crossed his arms.

"Whatever you say, Macy." Joe replied skeptically.

"Hmph. Now, getting back to you and Stella." Joe groaned. "You like her, and you're jealous because you saw her and Aaron together. Am I right?" Joe forced a slow nod. Macy stroked her chin, deep in thought. "Interesting. Very interesting." And with that, Macy walked out of the atrium. Joe rushed after her, but Macy had already faded into the sea of students.

XOXOXOXOXOX

Joe sighed, plopping down in one of the lunch room chairs. He couldn't believe that it had been one whole week since he first saw Stella with _that man_. Joe refused to call Aaron by his given name, he felt it was a disgrace to Aaron's everywhere.

"Hey, Joe! What's up?" Stella queried, bouncing on her heels in front of him. Joe looked up at her sorrowfully.

"Nothing, just tired." Joe mumbled. Stella was too ecstatic to notice that Joe didn't have his tired face on.

"Oh, well, I hope you sleep better tonight!" Stella replied. Joe flashed her a weak smile. He wished he was the guy that had made her so excited. It had to have been a guy, because Stella was wearing her 'a really, really cute guy that I really, really like just asked me out' smile. Joe glanced down. And shoes. He sighed again.

"So Aaron asked you out." Joe stated dully. Stella nodded, sliding into the seat in front of him.

"Yes! And I am _so _excited! I've waited a month for him to ask me out!" Stella replied. Joe tried for another smile, but it too didn't reach his eyes.

"That's great, Stella. I'm happy for you." And it was all a lie. Stella's eyes narrowed, looking at Joe closely. His tone and body language had finally sunk in.

"What's gotten you so down in the dumps?" Stella asked, frowning. Joe shrugged.

"Nothing, it's just this girl that I've liked for ages is dating someone else." Joe replied. _And that girl just happens to be you._ Stella smiled sympathetically, reaching out and laying a hand on Joe's arm. Joe thought he would melt.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Joe." And Joe knew she meant it. "I'm sure this girl will figure out that you like her. Eventually." Joe shook his head.

"Nope. I've tried to tell y...her for years, but I've never worked up the courage." Joe said, shrugging helplessly. Stella rubbed his arm.

"Anything I can do to help?" Stella asked. Joe shook his head.

_Other than punch _that man_ in the face and catch it on video camera so that I can watch it over and over again, marry me and never leave me?_ "Nope. I just need to be alone to wallow in my misery." Joe responded. Stella gave him another sympathetic smile before standing up and walking away. He sighed.

"You should have told her, Joe." Joe sighed again.

"Hey, Macy." Joe greeted dully. Macy sat down in the seat that Stella had recently vacated.

"Hey. You should have told her, Joe. It was the perfect opportunity! I mean, you couldn't get a better opportunity than that! Yet you let it slip away, just like you let Stella slip away." Macy pressed. Joe grimaced. He didn't know what it was, but something had made Macy feel more at ease around JONAS, and thus she was speaking her mind more.

"Gee, thanks, Macy." Joe replied sarcastically. Macy shook her head.

"Honestly, Joe. I follow you around practically all day and yet you are _still_ a mystery to me at times!"

"What was I supposed to do, Macy?" Joe exclaimed, jumping up from his chair, beginning to pace. "Just blurt out the fact that I'm in love with my best friend? Was that what I was supposed to do? Or how about I just blurt out how much I _loathe_ Aaron Crawford, how much I want to grind his pathetic little face into the ground? Was _that _what I was supposed to do?

"_What_ do you want me to do, Macy?! Do you want me to admit it? Shout it from the mountain tops? _I love Stella Marie Malone!_ There! I've done it! I admitted it! I love Stella Malone!" Joe exclaimed. "Honestly, close you your mouth, Macy. You're starting to creep me..." Joe trailed off as he turned around to see what Macy had been gaping out.

Joe let out a nervous laugh. "Oh, hey, Stella! Aaron. Didn't see you there!" Aaron drew back his fist, about to punch Joe, but Macy bolted up and dragged Aaron away from the situation, leaving Joe to face Stella alone. "So...uh....how much of that did you hear?"

"Oh, I heard all of it." Stella informed, leaning down and picking up her bag. "I left my bag and came back for it." Joe nodded.

"I...I...um...yeah." Joe managed. Stella took a tiny step forward, looking Joe in the eyes. Joe felt guilt bubble in his stomach when he saw the hurt in Stella's beautiful brown eyes.

"You love me." Stella stated quietly. Joe nodded.

"Since third grade." Joe added. Stella sighed.

"You should have told me, Joe." Stella replied. It was Joe's turn to sigh.

"I know, but like I said, I just couldn't work up the courage." Stella shook her head sadly.

"You know, there was a time when I loved you too." Joe looked up hopefully. "But that was a long time ago. I waited and _waited_ for you to_ finally_ ask me out. You know the reason I went to almost every school dance with Macy even though I had men lined up behind me who would have gladly take me? I had always waited for you to ask, but you never did. So Macy and I always went together, except for the one year Nick and I went as friends because his date dumped him the day before.

"So I moved on. I found Aaron. And I like him, Joe. I hope that by some miracle we can remain friends, but I really _have_ moved on. And I wish you would do the same. There are plenty of other girls out there that would love to love you, Joe. Somewhere out there is the girl for you. But that girl is not me. I'm sorry, Joe. I'm truly sorry." By the time Stella finished, her voice had dropped to a whisper and she was nearly in tears.

"Stella..." Joe whispered pitifully. A tear ran down Stella's pale cheek.

"I'm sorry, Joe." Stella murmured, running out of the hall. Joe found that he couldn't move his legs, he was rooted in place. He dropped back into his chair.

Joe couldn't believe it. Stella had loved him. She had waited for him. She had loved him. _She loved me. Loved._ In past tense. Joe's head dropped into his hands in an effort to hide the tears that threatened to overflow.

He had let her go. He had let her fly. And why? Why had he done that? Joe moaned. Stella was really gone. She just wanted to be friends. Joe didn't think he could do that. And he knew that he definitely couldn't see Stella and Aaron together everyday. There was no way his heart could take it. No way on creation.

Joe sighed. He had never really told Stella that he loved her. Not really. Yet he felt like he had broken some sort of vow by letting her go. Joe let out a bitter laugh. So that's what their friendship was now.

Stella was gone, dating Aaron Crawford. Joe had let her go. She wanted to still be friends. Joe laughed bitterly. He felt like his whole world had collapsed around him.

All because of a single broken vow.


End file.
